Animation and Music Festival Peace through culture and artHiroshima for Global Peace

Animation and Music Festival Peace through culture and art

#peacetimes

　This summer of 2022, a major event centering on music and media art will be held in Hiroshima. It will be the 1st Hiroshima Festival with the theme, “Arts of peace, making everyone shine and play a leading role.” The creators, performers, and spectators will all play leading roles. An unprecedented event for everyone to join in. While centering on concerts and a film festival, the festival program is filled with events.

　”For people to live peacefully and joyfully, cultural and artistic activities are essential,” says Fujiki Kiyoharu first off. He is the General Producer of the Hiroshima Festival. “The world is in turmoil with wars and conflicts around the world, not to mention COVID-19. However, when looking back on any historical period, cultural and artistic activities have always given people the hope and fuel to keep going. It has been the foundation for people to continue living like humans.”

Fujiki Kiyoharu, General Producer of Hiroshima Festival.

　The Hiroshima Festival will be held with the hope that everyone will live in peace and joy every day through culture and art. Everyone includes artists, those involved in the arts, and art goers.

　The 1st Hiroshima Festival will consist of “Hiroshima Music Session 2022” focusing on classical music and “Hiroshima Animation Season 2022” centering on animation media art. Two different genres in one cultural arts festival. There will be many related events.

　The Music Session will include the “Next-Generation Orchestra Conductor Academy & Competition” finalist concert featuring young Japanese and international orchestra conductors and a live talent contest to discover new artists from Hiroshima. The Session is to provide opportunities for young, next-generation artists and to expose the public to high-quality music. Also, the Animation Season will be based on International Animation Festival Hiroshima that was held once every two years. It will be a film festival featuring the latest animated films from around the world, especially the Pacific Rim and Asia.

　Among all these events, special attention is being given to programs for children to experience artistic activities through music and animation. They will lead the next generation. Fujiki says, “Perpetuating art activities to the next generation is the same as perpetuating the hope for peace. It is very important to raise children to have sound hearts and minds. Together with these children, I want to instill this new idea that artistic activities can lead to peace activities.”

　”Programs have already been started to foster next-generation orchestra conductors and for children in Hiroshima Prefecture to participate in artistic activities together with professionals and actually experience making manga or animation. Instead of just watching, the children will have hands-on participation to have fun and bring smiles to their faces. This will increase artistic activities and expand people’s cultural lives. All this will eventually contribute to peace…” Fujiki hopes that Hiroshima will ultimately become known as not only a city of peace, but also a city of culture and arts.

Next-Generation Orchestra Conductor Academy & Competition (left), and Junior Wind Orchestra Hiroshima Project.

　A variety of other events will also be held in other cities and towns in Hiroshima Prefecture and even Yamaguchi Prefecture in concert with the Hiroshima Festival. In Hiroshima city, there will be street corner musicians, entertainment, and media art exhibitions called “Machikado Festival.” During the festival, Hiroshima city and the surrounding area will be buzzing with culture and art. Thirty days before the Hiroshima Festival, a parade in Hondori in central Hiroshima city was held as a PR event for the festival. The parade included members of STU48, an all-girl idol group and festival ambassador.

　This new type of event where everyone can play a leading role will make this summer even hotter.

Festival PR events held on July 2nd, 30 days before the Hiroshima Festival. Top photo shows the PR parade, middle photo shows a keynote speech by Hiroshima manga artist Kono Fumiyo Kono, and bottom photo is the CANVAS Concert.

Hiroshima Festival